Running

I've NEVER wanted to be a runner, never thought about running, always thought runners were a little touched in the head.
My father who has been obese his whole life, used to run when I was a little girl and I remember him getting his whole outfit on to go and run laps around Washington Square Park. (apparently 1 time around the park is 1/2 a mile) I also remember how much he hated it and even when he was running, he would mock the other hardcore runners who ran no matter what the weather.

EVERYONE in Hoboken runs so I guess it was just a matter of time before I fell in line. I've quickly come to realize that there is a serious science to this running thing and there are a lot of dos and don'ts when it comes to your stride, your footfall, your body position and your pace.
Knowing I'm never going to be a serious runner, but knowing that I do want to get that Disney 5K under my belt I've been playing around with how I hold my body and the distance of my stride and my pace.

Most of my runner friends seem to prefer a large stride. Cover more distance with each stroke of your leg. Makes perfect sense for those that have longer legs. I found today that if I try for a longer stride, I get tired much quicker and it feels really awkward. I have short legs and have to work with what I've got and a shorter stride feels more comfortable to me.

This amuses me because back when I had horses I always preferred a shorted stride like that of a pony vs a larger horse with a longer stride. The bigger the stride (the more distance covered with each footfall) the more out of control I always felt.  Guess I'm just a pony at heart!

Today as I was doing my warmup laps I found what felt like the perfect position for me. I had a not so fast pace going but the way I was holding myself felt really comfortable and my stride felt solid and comfy. I also found that I wasn't as out of breath as I usually am.

We have 9 days till our Disney trip and I've been doing my homework on the jogging trails that are around our hotel. I've found the one I'm going to attempt each morning.
It's a loop that is .8 miles.


Discussing the fact that I'm planning on running anywhere is still really odd to me...